UIS announces Armstrong scholarship recipients

November 14, 2005

SPRINGFIELD – Three graduate students in the Public Affairs
Reporting program at the University of Illinois at Springfield – Crystal
Lindell, Rebecca O’Halloran, and Ann Sanner – have been named recipients of
the James E. Armstrong Scholarships for 2005.

Patrick Coburn, publisher of the State Journal-Register, presented
the scholarships at a luncheon held November 14 at the SJ-R offices.
The scholarships are given in memory of Armstrong, who was publisher of the
Illinois State Journal and the Illinois State Register,
predecessors of the State Journal-Register, from 1964 until his death
in 1967. They are awarded to students in the PAR program who have
demonstrated strong interest and potential in the field of government and
political reporting.

Lindell, daughter of Maxine Lindell, of Bryron, and David Lindell, of
Geneseo, received a B.A. in Political Science from Western Illinois
University in 2005. While at WIU, she was a news section writer, assistant
news editor, assistant editor-in-chief, and editor-in-chief for the student
newspaper, the Western Courier. She also served as president of the
WIU chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The summer before
enrolling at UIS, she covered the Knox County Board for the Galesburg
Register-Mail.

O’Halloran is the daughter of Mark and Rose DeMeo, of Burr Ridge, and
Nina and Will O'Halloran, of Elmhurst. She received a B.A. in Print
Journalism from Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, in 2005. While at
Hofstra, she was managing editor of the student newspaper, The Chronicle.
She has also been a news reporting intern at Newsday in Melville, New York,
and interned with and was a stringer for Liberty Publishing Group in Oak
Brook. She is currently a morning news anchor with WDZQ in Decatur.

Sanner, daughter of Karen and Marc Sanner of Illiopolis, received a B.S.
in Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2005.
While at UIUC, she was a staff writer andin-depth
editor for student newspaper The Daily Illini. She also served as a
research assistant for William Gaines, Knight Chair Professor for
Investigative and Enterprise Journalism, working on a project that focused
on uncovering the identity of Watergate figure Deep Throat. Before
enrolling at UIS, she worked for the SJ-R, both as a freelance
reporter and as an intern covering police beat and writing features.

The Public Affairs Reporting program at UIS, directed by Charles Wheeler,
is a one-year master’s degree program focusing on coverage of state
government news. In addition to academic work, students serve six-month
internships with newspaper, magazine, radio, television, wire service, or
audio news service bureaus in the Statehouse pressroom in Springfield.

The University of Illinois at Springfield,
one of three U of I campuses, is a small, public liberal arts university
that
offers
42 degree programs – 21
bachelor’s, 20 master’s, and the Doctorate of Public Administration.
UIS has a special mission in public affairs and service and is known for
extraordinary internships, a wireless campus, extensive online offerings,
and a commitment to teaching.